US flight ban for exploding Galaxy Note 7, with threats of criminal charges for people who defy rule

Passengers who attempt to take old or new Galaxy Note7s onto US flights could be subject to criminal prosecution, prevented from boarding, fined or have their phones confiscated.

The US Department of Transport said it was bringing in the ban on the now discontinued model from 15 October on flights to, from and within the US, for both checked luggage and carry-on bags.

It also warned travellers that if they attempt to get around the ban by packing their Note 7s in their checked bags, they were "increasing the risk of a catastrophic incident" and could face criminal charges.

The original Note 7s were recalled after several customers reported handsets catching fire. Despite blaming a problem with the batteries, re-issued and supposedly safe handsets then caught fire, leading Samsung to end production on the model.

"The fire hazard with the original Galaxy Note7 and with the replacement Note7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall," said U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman Elliot F. Kaye. "I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It's the right thing to do and the safest thing to do."

Samsung has now ended production of the Galaxy Note7 smartphone, after a number of phones caught fire despite the company reassuring customers they were safe.

There had been several rounds of product recalls before Samsung issued a regulatory filing to say it would no longer be producing the handset.

Prior to the US airline bans on the model, passengers on aircrafts had been requested not to charge or turn on their Galaxy Note7s on flights, but the US DoT has now gone a step further.

"We recognise that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident in-flight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk."